Of Haunted Houses And Love
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: It's Halloween, and we all know Asuna LOVES terrifying things, right? KiritoxAsuna fluff warning.


**My first SAO fanfiction! But considering how much I love writing fluff and how adorable Kirito and Asuna are, I'll definitely be writing more in the future ;3 Also, sorry for the lame title, I honestly had no clue what to call it :X**

**Spoiler warning: This story contains spoilers for the SAO and ALO arcs, just because of references, so I suggest you read the first 4 novels or finish watching the anime before you read this unless you want minor spoilers. Also, I address the characters as they are addressed in the novels, so for example, Silica stays Silica, no Keiko, but I _did_ use Kirito's real name.**

**Other than that, please enjoy! And Happy Halloween!**

**This story is dedicated to Noah Gabriel, aka my KiritoxAsuna ranting buddy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online :'[**

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Of Haunted Houses And Love

Cool wind whisked through the night sky, slipping between the bare branches of the skinny trees, causing them to rattle like bones.

People walked around in groups, dressed in costumes, laughing and shrieking together as they scurried from house to house, exchanging candy. Amongst the walkers, one bicycle sped by along the side of the road, nothing more than a streak of black shadow within the evening darkness.

Kazuto Kirigaya angled his body and braked a bit as he turned a corner, heading down the path he had traveled countless times since his release from Sword Art Online. This was his first Halloween since escaping the death game, and although his body was still a bit malnourished from the two years trapped in the MMORPG, he was determined to spend the most time possible with his girlfriend.

This was also Asuna Yuuki's first Halloween since Kazuto had freed her from Alfheim Online, and he had convinced himself that spending every second of every day and every night with her for the rest of his life would never be enough to make up for the time they had lost. Therefore, he merely did his best to see her as often as possible for even the smallest iota of a reason.

He slowed his bike down as he sighted Agil's café, decorated for the holiday with nothing more than a few orange lights and humble cobwebs. As Kazuto parked his bike, he fumbled with the long, black cape flowing down his back; if he was going to have to dress up in the real world, he found he must still wear his favorite attire. Even now, wearing the cape reminded him of his Black Swordsman days back in SAO, and even in the chilled, evening air, he felt as comfortable as ever.

As Kazuto walked up to the entrance, he opened the door of the café to be met by an assortment of stereotypical costumes and the enthusiastic people who wore them.

"Hey, Agil." Kazuto greeted the large man behind the counter.

"Oy, Kirito! Happy Halloween!" Agil called back loudly over the din in the café.

As the owner, Agil wanted his café to celebrate the holiday, and therefore felt obliged to get a costume. Presently, he was dressed all in gray and black, with fake fur lining his shirt to appear as somewhat of a wolf-man. Agil laughed heartily as he turned to serve a customer and Kazuto slipped past to find his usual table.

Crowded together in a group that was less than boisterous but more than excited were his good friends, who upon spotting him, all called out.

"Kirito! You're late!" Klein said accusingly but with a wide grin on his face. He was dressed in raggy clothing with a straw hat on his head; given his beard and goofy personality, Kazuto felt that a scarecrow was the perfect fit for the redhead.

"I'm not late, I'm on time!" Kazuto could barely defend himself and finish speaking before two more voices sounded.

"You may be on time, but since we were all here before you, it counts as being late." Lisbeth chided jokingly from her seat beside Klein. Her short, pink hair was complemented by a long, pale red dress with ruffles around the sleeves and chest area. No matter what way he looked at her, she was definitely a princess, Kazuto decided. _After only knowing her as a blacksmith for so long, I guess I never even considered she might actually be into this type of thing as well..__._

He hardly finished thinking before the third voice piped up.

"Kirito! Where's Suguha-chan?" A small girl with large, furry cat ears and a tail asked from across the table; this was, of course, Silica. Whiskers were drawn onto her face and fake, pink pads made paws on her hands. She resembled her Cait Sith avatar so strongly that Kazuto blinked in confusion for a second, making sure this was the real world.

"Didn't I tell you already? She's going out with her friends from school until later. She promised she'd come see you here then." He had to hold back a snicker as Silica pouted and then attempted to drink from her teacup and nearly spilled it all onto the table thanks to her clumsy, fake cat paws.

Thankfully, both the pristine table top and Silica's lap were spared from stains due to the quick reflexes of the girl sitting beside her.

A snow white hand flashed out to steady Silica's struggling fingers as a surprised, familiar voice entered Kazuto's ears.

"Careful, Silica-chan! You'll ruin your cute outfit!" Just then, two gorgeous pools of chestnut gold looked up to meet Kazuto's gaze. "Ah, Kirito-kun! You're here at last!"

He always felt himself become a little weak whenever he gazed into those beautiful eyes, but tonight it made him feel as if he would melt into a puddle.

He was most used to seeing his girlfriend in her avatar's attire, either her old Knights of Blood guild uniform or her berserk healer Undine outfit. Her school uniform was also a fairly light color, therefore seeing her in what she wore now left Kazuto dumbstruck for a good moment.

Asuna smiled irresistibly up at her boyfriend as he continued to stand there in the midst of the hyperactive café like an idiot. She wore a black top with purple and green ruffles around the collar, accompanied by a black mini skirt with similar-colored ribbons down the sides. Her silky, chestnut hair spilled down her back like a caramel waterfall, with a single black ribbon tied down either side of her braid. Her costume was perfectly completed with a black, pointed hat atop her head. Her alabaster skin was highlighted magnificently against the dark shades of her clothing, and Kazuto felt strangely contented that she was dressed in his preferred kind of attire. Now he sort of understood how she must have felt the first time she saw him in the white Knights of Blood uniform.

"Doesn't she look _bewitching_?" Lisbeth laughed as if it was the funniest joke she had ever told in her entire life.

Asuna looked expectantly at Kazuto, her expression going from delighted to slightly uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by with his prolonged silence, and her smile soon began to fade.

Before things could turn any worse for the poor, dumbfounded Kazuto, Klein leapt from his seat and grabbed Kazuto by the collar, ducking his head to mumble into ear. "Oy, Kirito, you moron, what are you doing just standing there? Are you going to drown in your own drool, or are you going to say something to her?"

Kazuto's mind processed the meaning of his friend's words and blinked himself back into reality. Asuna's expression had turned to self-conscious worry now, as her mind began to buzz with questions of weather he liked her dressed in such a fashion or not, or if she looked foolish. Kazuto cleared his throat as Klein punched him on the arm before sitting back down.

Kazuto fumbled for words as Asuna's eyebrows furrowed, her facial expression borderline screaming, 'I look weird, don't I?'

Naturally, Kazuto had many things to say about how he felt about her outfit, but he was not going to say them in front of everyone.

Sucking in a breath to hold his comments in, he stiffly walked around the table, grabbed hold of Asuna's wrist and pulled her away.

"E-Eh? K-Kirito-kun? Wh-What-?" Asuna stammered behind him as he rapidly led her away from the others, heading for a quiet, empty corner. Once the others were out of earshot, Kazuto let go of Asuna's trembling wrist and stopped walking. He faced away from her and took a few deep breaths, thinking through exactly what he was going to say to her. Just when he had it all planned out, he turned around abruptly with his mouth open, ready to speak, but unfortunately, nothing came out.

Kazuto immediately lost his voice as he caught sight of Asuna's face; her white hands were clasped tightly before her chest, and her chestnut eyes were watery and nervous.

Kazuto mentally beat himself as his mouth continued to hang open like a fish's. _Dammit! What kind of a boyfriend am I? I haven't even _said_ anything yet and I'm about to make her cry!_ But then, the other half of his brilliant mind realized that it was exactly _because _he had yet to say anything that he was in this situation. Gathering himself one more time, Kazuto closed his mouth like a refined gentleman, and straightened up, causing Asuna to flinch slightly.

"Asuna!" He declared loudly.

"E-Eh?" She looked as if he was about to hit her.

"Asuna!" He said again, then took a step closer to her. "Never before in my life have I ever seen anyone look so...so..." Just looking at her again made him lose his words and he fought for the adjective he had on the tip of his tongue. Asuna blinked up at him, not quite sure what to expect.

Failing a second time, Kazuto let out a sigh and resorted to his natural methods. He reached forward and took both her hands in his. He smiled genuinely and gazed into her clear, caramel eyes for a long moment. "Asuna." He said, much softer this time. "You look absolutely _beautiful_."

Upon hearing his words, Asuna felt her tense shoulders physically relax. As a small smile tickled her lips, looking into his alluring onyx gaze, full of earnest feelings... that alone was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

In front of her, Kazuto was still rambling a bit, unable to stop now that he had begun. "I mean, you've _always_ been beautiful." He stated the most obvious fact in the world. "Ever since you removed your cape back in our battle with Illfang- no even before that. In your KOB uniform, and in you Undine avatar, and in your school uniform and when you have a bedhead..." he continued like a broken record until he realized a tear had rolled down her cheek. "Uwah! A-Asuna, w-what's wrong?" He panicked, squeezing her hands harder.

"Nothing." She sniffed. "I don't know. I'm just... really happy..." She trailed off as she beamed at him, her irises wavering with deep emotion. Kazuto let his concerned frown melt into a smile that reflected hers.

Without saying anything more, he leaned in closer to her and kissed her gently. As their eyes closed, their fingers entwined, and the noisy café around them faded away for just a moment.

Another tear rolled down Asuna's cheek before Kazuto felt her squeeze his hand, his signal that she was short of breath. He reluctantly ended the kiss and decided to just gaze into her eyes for a moment longer instead. He slowly freed his right hand and wiped her trail of tears away from her blushing face. Asuna giggled once before hugging him tightly, which Kazuto happily returned. He savored her warmth for as long as he could until he felt her step away.

"You should consider trying to wear black more often." He suggested.

"I thought you would think it was weird..." She murmured. Kazuto gave her a look that said 'are you kidding me?' and she giggled again before switching the topic. "Ah. I just realized, Kirito-kun's supposed to be a vampire, right?" She noted, glancing at his black cape with the pointed collar.

"Ah, something like that, I guess." He replied sheepishly, not having actually thought all that much about his costume.

"Well, I think it's perfect." She nodded as if admiring an S-ranked food item she had successfully cooked into a meal. "It definitely says 'Black Swordsman, Kirito-kun'!"

"I'm glad it looks okay." As he spoke, his eyes wandered to the clock in the café, shrouded by fake spiderwebs. It was about time for his plan to take action. "Hey, do you wanna get going now?"

"Eh? Oh, right! We were going to go somewhere together, but you still haven't told me." Her cheeks puffed out into an adorable pout as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's because it's a surprise." He smirked. "Come on, let's get going." With newfound energy washing over him, he enthusiastically grasped her hand and pulled her toward the door of the café. "We'll be leaving now, everyone! Happy Halloween!" Kazuto called to their friends over his shoulder as he led Asuna out into the cool night air; a chorus of things like "Happy Halloween" and "Have fun" and "Be careful" sounded behind them.

"Can you at least tell me where it is?" Asuna figured she would give the request a shot.

"You'll see when we get there." He replied, and the girl sighed, not surprised at his answer.

She followed him over to where his bike was parked and waited for him to get situated before she tentatively sat on the seat behind him, her legs hanging off to one side as she wrapped her arms tightly around his torso. "Ready?" He checked, and when he got the affirmative "Mm!" from her, he began to pedal, the wind blasting past their faces so strongly that Asuna had to remove her hat and clutch it in her lap behind Kazuto's back. Her long chestnut hair flowed out behind them alongside his night-stained black cape.

At first, she squinted her eyes against the wind but then decided to just close her eyes and enjoy the sensation. Hugging Kazuto tighter, she pressed the side of her face into his back, unknowingly causing the boy to blush, fighting to focus on the path of the road ahead.

They rode for several moments through the fairly quiet streets, passing through neighborhoods illuminated in orange lights, until Kazuto recognized a specific house ahead. Braking, he pulled over on the sidewalk and Asuna, almost unwillingly, opened her eyes; a few moments longer and she probably would have dozed off, which could have proved troublesome.

"We're here." Kazuto announced to the dazed girl behind him. Asuna felt a small twinge of excitement well in her chest, unable to push away the thought that he had, perhaps, taken her somewhere quaint and romantic.

Of course, she should have known better.

Wearily, she removed her head from his back, put her hat back atop her head, and straightened herself up, blinking a few times and viewing their new surroundings. They were on a small side road with a single, large house in front of them, an assorted group of people standing outside.

But what made Asuna involuntarily let out a short shriek was not the people, but the appearance of the house.

Gruesome decorations smothered the front yard of the house, which was flanked on both sides by a thickly wooded, dark forest. Life-sized zombie, ghosts, hybrid-wolf humans, and vampires were scattered around the front entrance; off to one side was a terrible setup of a butcher shop made for slaughtering people. Almost no lights were on inside the house, aside from a few very faint flickers here and there. But aside from the chattering of the people waiting outside the house, eerie and ominous music boomed from inside, along with the frightened screams of some of the people inside.

Asuna remained speechless as another shriek formed in her throat, but died in a soundless wail in her mouth. She felt her blood turn to ice and she suddenly began to feel very woozy as she continued to clutch onto Kazuto's cape for dear life.

"Hey, I said we're here. You can get off now." It was cruel of him to pretend not to know what was wrong with her. Even before he had taken her to the forest on the 22nd floor of Aincrad, he had always known she was absolutely horrified of ghosts and the like. The forest here even bore some resemblance to the one from SAO, which sent a prickle through him, but of course, this forest would produce no adorable AI in a white dress for them to call their daughter.

Kazuto could not keep the smirk off his lips as he slid off the bike and unclasped Asuna's hands from his costume; she still had not moved and looked perfectly petrified as she stared, wide-eyed up at the house.

"Asunaaa~" He sang in a nonchalant tone, trying to wake her up so that she could at least get off of the bike.

Her lips trembled slightly as a cracked voice managed to escape. "N…No…anything but this…" she croaked. To be honest, seeing her paralyzed with fear like this really did make him feel bad, but he was determined to go through with this.

"Come on. It's just a haunted house. I came here a few times with Suguha and our mom when we were little. And besides, this isn't SAO; nothing's going to attack you, and you're not going to die from any monsters appearing."

"There is such a thing as dying of fright!" She protested, still refusing to get off the bike.

"That's won't happen. You're the toughest girl I know. Plus, I'll be with you the entire time." He promised. "And it's our first Halloween since we got out of that death game, so we've got to enjoy it for the ones we've missed!" He declared triumphantly, as if he had already convinced her to go inside.

But Asuna was far from convinced to get off the bike, let alone go inside the haunted house.

"No way! I can't do it…It's impossible-" She cut off with a short gasp as another scream echoed from within the house, bellowing, demonic laughter shaking the air. "I'm not going in there!" She squealed.

"But look," he pointed over his shoulder. "The people coming out are all laughing it off. Well…most of them, anyway…" he said more quietly as he noticed some people looking like they were about to lose their dinner. "We're all dressed up already."

"E-Even so, I just… I can't!" Exasperated, she was at a loss for words. Kazuto sighed, not wanting to have had to play this card, but he was left with no other options.

"Well, my legs are tired from pedaling so I don't think I'll be biking again anytime soon. I guess I'll just walk around and go in by myself." He decided, taking a step backward toward the house.

"W-Wait!" She cried desperately. "I'll pedal back." She offered hopelessly.

"Okay, then you'll be abandoning me here?" He clarified.

"Uh… n-no…" she withdrew her previous statement.

"Alrighty then, I'm off." He whistled as he turned his back to her and began walking.

"W-Wait! D-Don't leave me alone!" She pleaded.

"You won't be alone if you come with me." He reasoned.

"Kirito-kun, you meanie!" She shouted. Glancing at the house and then back to his disappearing back, she finally gave in. "Hold on! I'm coming!"

Kazuto spun back to face her, satisfaction clear on his face as he walked back over to her as she shakily pushed herself onto her feet. However, her legs were trembling so badly they nearly gave out and she swayed, Kazuto only catching her just in time.

"Oy, oy. Take it easy. It's all fake, you know." He chuckled.

"I…I'm not speaking to you…" she grumbled, puffing her paled cheeks out into a pout, but nonetheless grabbing hold of his arm for support.

He slowly, led her to the line of people waiting outside the house; some of them seemed eager while the rest were slightly scared, but the person in the worst condition was, of course, Asuna. Every time someone screamed, she shrieked as well, and with every step that took them closer to the haunted house, she seemed to shake more and more. She tried to take deep breaths and calm her thundering heartbeat, but the apprehension was too much for her to even attempt to be calm.

Kazuto grimaced when he noticed her condition and was truthfully wondering whether they should just leave, but by then they were already at the front of the line. A man dressed in a Grim Reaper costume waiting before them, and Kazuto properly paid him a small amount of money for entering. The Grim Reaper bowed slightly before opening the door before them; a sign hung there that said "Enter at your own risk" in bloody letters added well to the atmosphere.

"Let's go." Kazuto urged his girlfriend whose feet were suddenly rooted to the ground.

"N…No… I can't do this after all…" She shook her head back and forth defiantly, obviously forgetting that she had decided not to speak to him. She tried to pull away from him, but her body felt like it was full of syrup and her weak efforts got her nowhere.

"Now, now, you've made it this far." He coaxed. "Besides, I've already paid." He took a step forward, but Asuna rejected his movement with her entire weight.

"No…no…" she repeated in an almost inaudible tone.

"Come on." He said more softly. "I'll be right next to you." Wrapping his right arm around her shivering shoulders, he gradually led her inside the house. Asuna gripped her hat and pulled in down over her eyes, bowing her head to the floor as she followed. Behind them, the front door closed with a noisy creaking sound before a loud bang that made her jump.

Inside the house it was almost completely dark, but loud, frightening music could still be heard from some distant room. Bloodied hand prints on the walls were faintly lit by tiny candles, pointing them in the direction to follow.

Kazuto imagined this would be a gradual progression of things, for example, a few moments of silent hallways followed instantly by something popping out at them, so even he was scared a bit when the first trap was set off within ten seconds of their arrival. Everything was fairly silent one second, and the next, a long string of screeching bats dropped from the ceiling, stopping directly in front of their faces.

"Woah!" Kazuto took a step back in surprise, while poor Asuna shrieked as if she were being murdered. Considering her phobia, perhaps something simple like this was equivalent to such an act for her.

Once they had somewhat recovered, Kazuto tentatively led her forward once more as the bats ascended again, preparing for their next victims. It took some effort to get Asuna to move another step, but he had expected such a reaction from her and waited patiently until she could function properly.

The hallway continued down for several more yards before turning into a somewhat brighter room. As they neared, Kazuto heard a faint thumping sound that gradually got louder and louder. "What's that noise?" He wondered aloud.

"M-My heart…" Asuna stammered, wholly believing it was the truth; Kazuto considered that it could be likely, but was probably impossible.

As they turned the corner and entered the next room, they immediately discovered what the sound was.

It was a kitchen, lit by a weak light and shrouded in mist from a smoke machine. In the center was a large man wearing an apron covered in blood and guts, wielding a large cleaver in one hand and bringing it down on what appeared to be human body parts. The man looked up from his work to eye the couple menacingly before smirking and taking a threatening step toward them.

Kazuto froze in place for an instant; this was somehow much more terrifying than most bosses in SAO, and here he knew deep in his mind that there was no chance of actually being killed, but just for the moment, that fact seemed to waver.

As the man took another step closer, the boy finally started to regain his senses. His eyes darted around the room until they found the exit into another dark hallway. But before he could move, Kazuto jumped as a shrill scream came from beside him.

Asuna, who had been silently petrified since entering this room must have been fueled by sheer terror as she made a mad dash for the exit, yanking Kazuto's arm, and eventually, the rest of him along behind her. The boy let out a short yell of surprise as she suddenly came to life, but forced his feet to follow her crazed pace out of the kitchen. Asuna continued to run for a good twenty seconds, completely bypassing another of the traps without so much as a glance, before she finally stopped. She was on the verge of collapse as she slumped against the wall, her left hand still clutching Kazuto's arm as her right hand pressed against her chest.

The two of them caught their breaths for a moment before Kazuto spoke up.

"I don't think we've run so fast since meeting The GleamEyes." He recalled with a partially bitter smile.

Asuna, who was still leaning her full weight against the wall, painfully raised her head an muttered, "Y…Yeah." She managed between heavy gasps if air.

It was obvious that she would not be able to make a full recovery at this point, therefore Kazuto pulled her to his side and supported her as they continued forward once more. He could not help but smirk in amusement at the faint whimpers coming from her as they approached the next room.

There was a rhythmic creaking sound emitting from within, and as the couple peered around the corner, they saw the silhouette of a rocking chair by the window, swinging back and forth. Cautiously yet briskly, Kazuto stepped into the room, bringing Asuna with him. She was surveying the ceiling and the corners frantically, trying to predict the next event before it occurred. A moaning sound suddenly rose above the clamor of the music, and the pair stopped dead in their tracks as they turned their heads in mechanic simultaneousness toward the window.

The person sitting in the rocking chair appeared to be an old woman who was in the middle of knitting something; however her handiwork was not a quilt, but a head, most likely her own, considering the fact that she had none. Her decrepit, bony fingers were clumsily sewing eyes into the sockets of the skull as she continued to rock back and forth in her chair.

This time it was Asuna who moaned, sounding like she was about to get nauseous, and Kazuto held back his own dinner as he quickly pulled her away from the scene. He mentally commended the creators of this attraction for their fearlessness of being too realistically accurate.

As they left the old woman's room, they found themselves in yet another shadowy hallway that forked to the left and the right. The right side was dark, and a cold air hung around it while the left direction was brighter; a glowing sign that said EXIT also pointed to the left. Kazuto felt Asuna sigh with relief, but he was almost certain it was a hoax. Even so, he took a left, only to find that his suspicions had been correct.

Seemingly materializing from the walls, a group of about seven or eight cloaked figures jumped out at the couple, roaring and screaming bloody murder. Kazuto was genuinely scared out of his wits this time and did not bother trying to hold back his yell. Likewise, Asuna screamed hard enough for Kazuto to wonder if these guys felt bad for them and would just take off their masks and lead them out.

But of, course, the workers did nothing of the sort, rather they seemed to be getting a kick out of it all. They formed a circle around the two high schoolers, like hyena surrounding an pair of injured gazelle. Everywhere they turned, some cloaked person blocked their path, and the couple could do nothing but continue to shout and shriek.

This horrifying torment lasted about a full minute before the men began to drive them backward, chasing them off toward the other end of the hallway and toward the cold outside air of the real exit.

The two of them burst through the door and raced outside, gulping in huge breaths of air and exhaling with effort. Asuna's hair was frizzed in several directions and she honestly looked like a ghost as well, her skin alabaster and vacant of any warmth. There were tears in her eyes as she fought for breath, her chest heaving wildly as she stayed latched onto his right arm.

As Kazuto regained his voice, he grinned and patted her head with his left hand. "See? That wasn't so bad!" His tone was half sarcastic as he chuckled down at her, but Asuna just looked up at him incredulously.

He was prepared for whatever reaction she had in mind, be it a furious outburst or a tearful exclamation, but he was not prepared for what actually happened.

It appeared that not all of the mannequins in the yard were actually mannequins, but real people dressed up and unmoving until the right moment. Just when they had assumed it was all over, the vampire in a coffin leaning against a tree behind Asuna suddenly came to life. It reached out an tapped her shoulder while screaming at the same time.

Asuna, who had been about to say something to her boyfriend was completely unprepared for it. She jumped and screamed so fervently that she thought her heart had stopped, but before she could even turn around to get a glimpse of her tormentor, her vision faded into black.

"Woah! Oy, Asuna!" Kirito recovered quickly from the scare and immediately embraced her before she could collapse. Her body was limp and drained of all color, and for an instant, Kazuto felt true terror as he thought she had suffered a heart attack due to fear. He held her close to him and felt for her pulse, and then sighed with relief when he felt her breathing. "I guess that really was the last straw for you, huh?" He exhaled as he struggled to hold her up. He bent down and slid his left arm behind her knees, keeping his right supporting her shoulders as he straightened, holding her in the bridal position.

As he left the proximity of the haunted house, he embarrassedly put the concerned bystanders at ease as they shot him surprised looks. He had a place in mind to take her to, but it would be impossible to walk there with her like this, but he could not ride the bike while holding her either.

So, as he returned to his parked vehicle, he gently placed her onto the seat while still holding her back up. Leaning down a bit, Kazuto peered at her face; her eyebrows were slack now, unlike before when they were constantly furrowed with fright. Her black shirt rippled ever so slightly as she breathed, but aside from the lack of color from her face, she merely seemed to be sleeping. _Even though she was scared out of her wits unconscious..._ He thought in his mind.

"Oy, Asuna." He said, waving his free left hand before her eyes, but she did not flinch. "You did really well in there, and you almost made it till the end, but I have to admit that last one was pretty dirty." He chortled, but her eyes remained closed.

An idea popped into his head just then as he tucked a stray lock of her silky hair behind her ear, fixing the ribbon that hung there as well. _Isn't this how every princess wants to be woken up?_ He justified himself in his thoughts as he pulled her forward and kissed her lightly. He felt her lips twitch slightly and he pulled away to see her gorgeous eyes fluttering open, like tattered butterfly's wings. It took a moment for her vision to adjust in the dark nighttime shadows, but recognition immediately flashed on her expression as she saw him.

"Mmn. Kirito-kun..." she mumbled, her voice thick with exhaustion.

"Hey there." The boy responded with a smile. "Listen, I want to take you somewhere else- and it's not another haunted house, I promise." He put in as he felt her back stiffen. "It's about 5 minutes away by bike. Do you think you can stay awake that long?" The look on her face told him she had only heard about half of what he said, but apparently the words still registered in her brain and she nodded once to him. "Okay then. You've got to hold on tightly. If you start to feel dizzy, I'll pull over right away." He swore. She made an affirmative noise and he removed the witch hat from atop her head and placed it into her lap. He ruffled her hair lightly, to which she made a small sound of protest before he took his seat.

Her legs still dangling off the side, Asuna wearily wrapped her arms around him, interlocking her fingers as tightly as she could manage. Confirming that her grip was strong enough that she would not fall off, Kazuto kicked off from the ground and began moving forward.

He coasted down the side road until he came to the main one, sticking to the sidewalks as the cool, autumn air brushed through their hair. Pale orange streetlights added fittingly to the atmosphere as Kazuto turned down another small side road, vacant of the sounds of trick-or-treaters. Even the sound of passing cars they had grown so accustomed to faded into the distance behind them as they approached a much quieter part of town.

At last, Kazuto slowed to a stop at the end of a dead end street, just as Asuna felt she was about to lose her hold. "Alright, we made it." He announced, hopping off before turning back to help Asuna up. He placed her hat back on her head at a slightly off angle that just made it all the more adorable. "Are you feeling any better?" He asked, a little apologetically.

"Yes, I'm okay." She mumbled, grimacing a tiny bit as she recalled the reasons that had led to her fainting in the first place. "Just a little worn out." She admitted.

"Okay." He nodded in understanding. "We just need to walk a little ways from here. Do you want me to carry you?" He offered.

At those words, her face turned cherry red as she took a step back. "I-I can walk by myself!" Her voice had its trademark feistiness back in it as she crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to lead the way.

Their feet crunched over dried leaves as they went through a small forest, and Kazuto was fairly surprised that she was not scared. Then again, the harrowing experience she had been through that night alone had probably been enough to terrify her for the remainder of her life.

Although it was only about a 3 minute walk to their destination, despite her words from earlier, she wavered about a minute in, and Kazuto dropped back and resorted to carrying her, ignoring her protests, although he noted she did not really struggle all that much. Asuna turned her face away from him as he held her in his arms, obviously embarrassed, until they finally reached the intended spot.

The forest gave way to a small lake with a bench positioned at the water's edge. Since it was past twilight now, the starts shone brightly in the vast expanse of sky that opened up above them. The dazzling reflection on the water alone was enough to take one's breath away.

Kazuto let Asuna down and they walked together the final few steps before taking seats on the bench. They sat in awed silence for several moments before Asuna's faint whisper rose above the wind.

"It's beautiful." She stated.

"Think of this as compensation for putting up with my scheme tonight." He said, sheepishly.

"Oh, that reminds me," her tone hardened a little, causing a drop of sweat to run down the side of his face. "I wasn't supposed to speak to you because of that." She chastised accusingly.

"Ah-" The boy tried to defend himself, but his girlfriend cut him off as she continued.

"But, oh well. I guess I can forgive you partially for now." She compensated.

"What? Partially?"

"Yes, _partially_." She reiterated. "I don't think I've ever fainted before in my entire life, and I almost got the privilege of experiencing a legitimate heart attack."

The boy opened his mouth to say something, but realized he had no retort and changed his choice of words.

"Is there any way I can make up for the other part?"

"I guess we'll find out." She chirped, matter-of-factly.

Finally, the yawn she had been fighting off for the past few moments overtook her and Kazuto rested his right arm around her shoulders. Asuna gladly accepted the invitation and leaned toward him, resting her head on his shoulder. The tip of her hat ended up poking him in the face and therefore had to be relocated to her lap with a mischievous giggle.

The couple stared out at the rippling water for a while, feeling the breeze and letting the fresh air fill their lungs. Just as Kazuto was beginning to feel a bit chilly, Asuna shivered, giving him the signal to drape his long, black cape around her and pull her closer. Asuna contentedly snuggled as close as she could, nestling her cheek into his shoulder. "If we fall asleep here, we'll probably catch colds." She noted reluctantly.

"I'm not tired," He informed her. "But you look exhausted. Why don't you take a nap for a while, and we can head back to the café when you wake up."

"But you look really tired, too, Kirito-kun. I'll be okay for now. You sleep first." She offered, lifting her head off his shoulder and instead offering her own. "I promise to keep you nice and warm." A beaming smile formed on her face, and Kazuto knew there was no way to refuse her now; even if he had been the most awake and alert person on the planet, he would never be stupid enough to pass up an opportunity like this.

They reversed their positions as Asuna wrapped her arm around Kazuto's shoulders and he leaned his head on her left shoulder. Closing his eyes, he listened to the various sounds of the crickets chirping and the waves lapping ceremoniously against the rustling grass.

Asuna's warmth spread throughout him like a gentle flame, engulfing him in a quiet comfort he could only ever experience with her. The rhythmic beating of her heart eventually lulled him into a light slumber, and Asuna affectionately ran her fingers through his soft, onyx hair. She kissed the top of his head and reminisced about the mornings they had spent together in their home on the 22nd floor of Aincrad; she would always wake up 10 minutes before he did simply to admire his precious sleeping expression.

She began to hum the BGM from the 22nd floor, which resurfaced such fond memories for her that she would probably never forget that tune for as long as she lived.

She assumed about half an hour had passed before she began to feel tiredness creep over her, making her head feel like it was full of cotton. She managed to keep herself awake by counting stars until Kazuto awoke. When she felt him sit up straight again beside her, she could hardly wait for her turn to sleep.

"You should sing more often." He suggested unexpectedly as he let lose a huge yawn.

"E-Eh? Kirito-kun, you heard that?" She stammered.

"Yes, and it was enough to make me think we were back in our home in Aincrad." He admitted. "But for now, just come here. You don't look like you'll last another minute." He pulled her back into her original position, leaning against his shoulder. She gave a little "hmph" but said no more as she finally closed her eyes.

Kazuto's prediction held true, for in less than a minute, her breathing had slowed and deepened significantly. Her shoulders relaxed and her hair pooled out to the side, so Kazuto indulged himself in playing with her tresses, which were softer than gossamer.

She fell into a deep sleep and Kazuto enjoyed every moment of it, sharing his body heat with her as he gazed up at the moon in the shape of a thin cat's claw. The moonlight sliced through the bare tree branches and dappled the world below, shrouding Asuna in a mystifying, diaphanous glow. He eventually realized he was gawking and had to redirect his gaze toward the water, knowing if she woke up to find him staring at her like a lovestruck puppy, she would probably get defensive about it.

She slept in her deep sleep for a little over half an hour, until her regular breathing was interrupted by a petite sneeze.

"Unyuu..." she sniffed, sounding disappointed that her nice nap was over. She shuddered as a breeze blew past and sneezed a second time.

"Geez, are you okay?" Kazuto rubbed his hand up and down her back. He had not really taken into account the fact that she was wearing a mini-skirt and a short sleeved top.

"Yeah." She assured him with a tired smile. "Let's head back to the café now."

"Alright." He agreed.

Asuna was about to stand up, but Kazuto lightly grasped her wrist and kept her down, and she gave him a questioning look.

"Happy Halloween." He told her, kissing her softly. Asuna kissed back lovingly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

After a moment, their lips drew apart and Kazuto got to his feet, helping her up after him.

"Well then, let's get back. Those guys are probably making up weird stories by now..." He trailed off as he realized the truth in his own words. "Yeah, we'd better hurry." He concluded. He placed her hat back on her head and then, without asking her consent, lifted her up bridal style once more.

"E-Eh? W-Wait, K-Kirito-kun!" She squeaked as he carried her back through the woods.

She pouted as he laughed aloud, and she soon joined in with a smile.

It had been her first Halloween back since her rescue from Alfheim Online, and though it had been unnerving and scary, it had also been very fun, and extremely warm.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I do hope you enjoyed! Now you know what I meant by spoilers (just the fact that they escaped SAO and ALO, really). Thank you for reading my first story about this fantastic couple! :3  
**

**Please review!**


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